Skulduggery Pleasant: Close Quarters
by TeaAndToast24
Summary: When a group of rebels are intent on capturing and using the gifts of a shape-shifter, Skulduggery and Valkyrie are plunged into a darker side of magic that they are unprepared to face. Rated T for violence. First fanfic in a while so please feel free to review and let me know how I'm getting on :)


Skulduggery Pleasant felt the air change only a split second before the wall of water crashed into him, sending him spinning backwards into the cavern. He heard Valkyrie shout as his skull breached the surface, one skeletal hand holding onto his hat as he propelled himself upward and out of the current with a push of the other. There was a small thud and a gasp somewhere to the right and he swooped down in the direction, only to be met by Valkyrie's back rushing up to meet him mid-way. They collided, and only Skulduggery's quick reflexes stopped them being impaled on a stalactite.

"What the _hell_ is going on?" Valkyrie coughed as Skulduggery flew to a ledge out of view and dropped her gently before his own feet touching the ground. "Please tell me that we know some sort of way of…I dunno..,pinning him down?"

"Uh…not entirely sure if you've noticed, Valkyrie…but he's made of water. I don't know how many times you've tried to 'pin down' water…" Skulduggery said slowly, and Valkyrie felt a quick rush of heat as he dried himself off. She gave him a foul look as she attempted it on herself, only achieving in a mass afro effect on her hair. She knew he would be smirking as he replied softly; "Don't be such a wet-rag."

Before Valkyrie had a chance to hurl her removed soggy boot, Skulduggery raised one bony finger to silence her and tilted his head. Valkyrie froze.

_Drip…drip…drip…_

A trickle of water, defying gravity (as Valkyrie had learnt, the laws of physics obviously no longer applied) as it seeped up and over the ledge and pooled quickly before them, before a head slowly rose out, features slowly defining and color rushing to flushed cheeks.

"Detectives…I hate detectives…" The voice was as silky as the water it was emitted from, an Italian accent clinging oddly to the words.

"Have you met every detective there is?" Skulduggery asked as he pulled Valkyrie away to stop her prodding the head with her toe.

"No…but I've met enough."

"Enough, however, Rusto, isn't me, hence your dislike is based falsely. And I am very much a lovely, heart-warming, likeable –"

"Literally, stop talking." Valkyrie cut across.

"Fine. As I was saying, Rusto, we're not alike other detectives, hence I think you should give us another chance. We need information that we believe you withheld from an investigation about two years ago."

Rusto grimaced and Valkyrie thought he was going to dribble away again, however he surprised her by beginning to grow out of the puddle, shoulders bending inward before slowly forming broadly outward, torso, legs and finally feet coming into existence. As the water gave way to solid mass, a tall man stood before them, rich brown curls hanging down over tanned olive skin. Hazel eyes looked between the pair, whilst a tailored-suit clung to his obviously muscled body. Valkyrie bit her lip briefly, but Skulduggery caught her eye and she instantly went deadpan.

"This…again?" Rusto asked, his defined eyebrows knotting. "As I have said to every other person that comes to me, I have nothing more to give…I can't remember –"

"We're not here to prosecute." Skulduggery said firmly. "I've seen the case, looked at the evidence. You were wrongly accused…set-up it seems." Valkyrie saw a glimmer of desperation cross his sculpted face before Rusto growled, "That's what I've been saying all along. Neither the Italian or English Sanctuaries believed me…they still blame me for crimes that happened years and years ago that I had no part of." He turned quickly, enough to make Valkyrie bunch her muscles, a reflex to attack but he merely raised his hands, pointing a finger at Skulduggery. "They just want my gift…they always wanted me to spy, to literally sweep the gutters for information. I wanted no part of it! I just wanted to explore the world, feel the ebb of the world's currents as I travelled along the seas, rivers and lakes."

"A cavern is always scenic." Valkyrie said, but immediately regretted it as Rusto dropped his sorrowful eyes on her. Her knees felt close to buckling as she was lost in those orbs.

"I understand this well, bella, but after nearly 70 years of Adepts trying to freeze me and take me back, I grew tired and retired to these…these holes that I seem destined to live in." He muttered, before turning back to Skulduggery. "You know why I am innocent?"

Skulduggery nodded and picked some gravel off of his hat absent mindedly. "The water they found in her lungs, it was yours…but it wouldn't have drowned her." Valkyrie looked to Skulduggery, a quizzical movement of her eyebrows. "He is made of water, Valkyrie, but it isn't your standard tap water –" Rusto frowned. "It's…well…"

"Magic?" Valkyrie rolled her eyes. "Yeah, Skulduggery, I guessed that much, but why couldn't it have –"

"I loved her. My magic is influenced, as yours is, by emotion. A current can either push someone to shore or suck them under, and I am the same."

"So, this means…"

"I gave her my heart…literally." Rusto said and the sadness in his voice moved Valkyrie. Skulduggery considered him for a moment before saying in a gentle voice; "I gathered. But it's now what she was guarding that we need to find, it is in great danger."

Rusto's sadness literally drained from his face and replaced with dark anger. "Why? What's happened?" Skulduggery raised his hands.

"No – nothing's happened yet. We have sources who have just passed on information."

"What information, tell me?!" Rusto snapped. Valkyrie thought he was boiling and a thought of him suddenly evaporating crossed her mind.

"All we know is that they want this item and we need to stop them getting their hands on it."

"Her." Rusto said sharply.

"Excuse me?"

"She isn't an it. This item you speak of is not an object. She breathes as much as you or I…if you breathe…sorry." Rusto trailed off. "But, that's not the point. Who wants her?"

Valkyrie stepped in. "Sorry, the stone is actually someone?"

Rusto glared at her and she fought the instinct to take a step back.

"Ch…She is a girl. No older than you. What do you want?" He was getting desperate now.

"We're going to need you to come with us." Skulduggery said slowly.


End file.
